Retractable tie rack

ABSTRACT

A retractable tie rack for attachment to a clothes supporting rod within a clothes closet, including a one-piece elongate bracket which when attached to the support rod inclines downwardly toward the closet door opening. The lower end of the bracket terminates in a horizontal slide bearing for a hanger bar having spaced tie supporting pins thereon. When the hanger bar is extended, any ties or similar articles carried thereby are readily accessible. The upper end of the bracket has a lengthwise extending open-ended slot adapted to fit over the support rod and a lengthwise extending slit opening into such slot to enable the portions of the bracket on opposite sides of the slot and slit to flex. A clamp bolt extending through such portions is effective to frictionally clamp the same against the support rod.

United States Patent 1191 Koutnik 1 RETRACTABLE TIE RACK [76] Inventor: Rodrick J. Koutnik, 1420 Morrow Cir., Thousand Oaks, Calif. 91360 [22] Filed: May 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 253,498

[52] US. Cl 211/86, 211/162, 248/230 [51] Int. Cl. A47f 5/08 [58] Field of Search 211/86, 94, 162, 13, 60 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,822 6/1899 Baseman 287/5202 X 1,623,262 4/1927 Nelson 287/5202 2,392,932 1/1946 Macbeth 248/230 X 2,985,311 5/1961 Abel 211/86 3,124,253 3/1964 Petrich 211/94 3,175,697 3/1965 Kelly 211/162 X 3,335,872 8/1967 Dodich 211/86 Feb. 5, 1974 Primary Examiner-Ramon S. Britts [5 7] ABSTRACT A retractable tie rack for attachment to a clothes supporting rod within a clothes closet, including a onepiece elongate bracket which when attached to the support rod inclines downwardly toward the closet door opening. The lower end of the bracket terminates in a horizontal slide bearing for a hanger bar having spaced tie supporting pins thereon. When the hanger bar is extended, any ties or similar articles carried thereby are readily accessible. The upper end of the bracket has a lengthwise extending open-ended slot adapted to fit over the support rod and a lengthwise extending slit opening into such slot to enable the portions of the bracket on opposite sides of the slot and slit to flex. A clamp bolt extending through such portions is effective to frictionally clamp the same against the support rod.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures RETRACTABLE TIE RACK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a rack for supporting ties, belts, or other articles within a closet and has particular reference to a retractable rack adapted for attachment to a horizontal clothes support rod normally found in a clothes closet.

2. Description of the Prior Art Retractable tie racks of the above type have been proposed heretofore for mounting on a horizontal clothes supporting rod. Such prior racks include a horizontally extending tie hanger bar which, when the closet door is opened, may be extended outwardly toward the closet door opening so that all of the ties or other articles supported thereby may be readily visible and accessible. Thereafter, the tie hanger bar is retracted into the closet to permit the closet door to be closed.

Although such prior tie racks are generally satisfactory, they are relatively complicated, expensive to manufacture and assemble, and some require special support means engageable with a closet wall, shelf or other structure to prevent the same from rotating about the clothes support rod. Also, prior retractable tie racks generally incorporate projecting clamp parts or the like which are not only unsightly in appearance,. but can catch and tear articles of clothing being stored or removed from the vicinity of the tie rack.

Generally, retractable tie racks comprise a support body, carrying a. sliding or telescoping bearing below the support rod to slidably support the tie hanger bar for movement. between retracted and extended positions. It will be noted that the moment arm. tending to rotate the rack about the support rodf increases when the tie hanger bar is extended outwardly toward. the closet door opening and thusnot only tends to rotate the rack about the support rod, but also places a binding stress on the sliding bearing for the tie hanger bar,

which tends to make it hard to slide the latter and also increases wear on such sliding bearing. This is aggrevated by loads additionally imposed on the tie hanger bar when the latter is extended, due to handling, such as removing or mounting ties or other articles thereon. This requires a relatively strong and substantial bracket construction and generally limits the distance through which the hanger bar can be extended.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A principal object of the present invention is to provide a retractable tie rack which is of simple construction, easy to manufacture, of pleasing appearance and inexpensive.

Another object is toprovide a retractable tie rack which may be quickly and easily mounted on or removed from a horizontal clothes supporting rod.

Another object is to provide a simple retractable tie rack which can be mounted in any position on a clothes supporting rack without marring'or otherwise damaging the same and yet will adequately resist turning without requiring additional braces or the like.

Another object is to provide a simple retractable tie rack having a rigid slide support so located that it will adequately support a slideable tie hanger bar in any adjusted position thereof.

Another object is to provide a retractable tie rack with a minimum number of projections on which articles of clothing might catch or tear.

Another object is to provide a retractable tie rack which enables a maximum extension of a tie hanger bar supported thereby.

The present invention provides a very simple and inexpensive retractable tie rack comprising mainly an elongate supporting bracket to be attached to a clothes support rod and a horizontal tie hanger bar slideably supported by the bracket at its forward end for movement between retracted and extended positions. The bracket, when mounted, inclines downwardly to a horizontally extending slide bearing which is located adjacent the closet door opening for slideably supporting the tie hanger bar. Accordingly, such slide bearing is advantageously located as close as possible to the load, when the hanger bar is extended, so as to reduce the binding forces on the slide bearing to a minimum and yet enable maximum extension of the hanger bar.

The bracket is formed with an open-ended longitudinally extending slot at its upper end with a semicylindrical end. The slot is fitted over the clothes support rod and a coextensive slit is formed in the bracket adjacent one edge thereof to enable a slight lateral flexing of one portion. The bracket is preferably formed of wood in which the grain extends along the length thereof so as to present a strong cantilever support for the tie hanger bar when in extended position, but the two portions thereof on opposite sides of the slot and slit are sufficiently flexible to enable frictional clamping against the clothes support rod. Also, the lower end of the bracket forms a strong, rigid sliding support for the tie hanger bar. Alternatively, the bracket may be formed of plastic or other light structural material.

A clamp bolt extends through the portions of the bracket on opposite sides of the slot and on the side of the support rod adjacent the upper end thereof, to frictionally clamp the bracket against the support rod in any position of the bracket on such rod. The clamp bolt, further, engages the side of the support rod and thus locates the bracket in position during the clamping procedure. Also, the clamp bolt maintains the semicylindrical end of the slot in intimate frictional entanglement with the support rod to aid in resisting turning of the bracket.

Since the slide bearing on the bracket is located adjacent the closet opening, it enables a maximum extension of the tie hanger bar through the closet door opening while adequately supporting the same in such extended position.

Another feature of the invention is that it reduces to a minimum any projecting parts which might catch and tear any articles of clothing being stored or removed from the vicinity of such tie rack.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention are accomplished will be readily understood on reference to the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a retractable tie rack embodying a preferred form of the present invention, illustrating the same as mounted within a clothes closet.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the tie rack and is taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1, with parts broken away, illustrating the attachment of the tie rack to a clothes support rod of smaller diameter than that shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the tie rack, generally indicated at 10, is shown as being mounted within a clothes closet having a rear wall 11, a door 12 adapted to be opened, and a round horizontally extending clothes support rod 13 located substantially midway between the wall 1 1 and door 12. The rod 13 is suitably supported in a manner not shown by end walls of the closet, one of which is indicated at 14, and is suitably anchored to prevent rotation thereof.

The tie rack comprises an inclined elongate bracket 15, preferably of wood, and rectangular in crosssection. As seen in FIG. 1, the grain 16 of the wood extends along the length of the bracket.

An open-ended slot 17 is formed in the upper end of the bracket and extends lengthwise thereof. The slot terminates in a semi-cylindrical end 18 having the same radius as that of the rod 13. Thus, the end 18 is adapted to mate with one side of the rod 13. A narrow slit 20 is formed in the bracket and extends lengthwise thereof, opening into the slot 17. Such slit is located above the center of the bracket.

A clamp bolt 21 is passed through openings in the portions 22 and 23 on opposite sides of the slot 17 and when in place, engages the rear side of the support rod 13. A nut 24 is threaded on the bolt and when tightened flexes the portions or jaws 22 and 23 to frictionally clamp the same against the rod 13, thus preventing relative rotation. Since the clamp bolt 21 maintains the end 18 of the slot 17 in intimate contact with the rod 13 through one half of the circumference of the latter, adequate frictional contact between the bracket and the rod 13 will be maintained, when the bolt is tightened, to resist the moment arm which may be set up.

The bracket 15 terminates in a horizontally extending lower end 25 in which is formed a downwardly opening channel 26 running the length thereof. The latter channel slideably receives a rigid elongate tie hanger bar 27 which is rectangular in cross-section and has longitudinally extending slots 28 formed therealong in opposite sides thereof to slideably receive guide plates 30 which are secured by screws 3] to the underside 25 of the bracket 15.

Laterally extending pins 32 are secured to the hanger bar 23 and are spaced therealong below the slots 28 to support ties, belts, and other articles. Such pins are inclined upwardly at their outer ends, as seen in FIG. 2, to retain the articles thereon, and plastic tips 33 are attached to such upwardly inclined ends.

Stop means are provided to limit the travel of the hanger bar 27 in its retracted and fully extended positions. For this purpose, pins 34 are driven through the hanger bar 27 adjacent the left end thereof and are passed through respective ones of the slots 28. Thus, when the bar 27 is slid to the right through the opening of the closet door 12 and into its fully extended position, indicated by dot-dash lines 27a, the pins 34 will engage the lefthand ends 29 of respective ones of the guide plates 30. In such position, it will be seen that the hanger bar 27 extends a maximum distance through the closet door opening so that ties or other articles supported by the various pins 32 will be readily accessible from the front of the closet. The slots 28 terminate adjacent the righthand end of the hanger bar 27 to limit leftward movement of the hanger bar beyond its fully retracted position shown in full lines in FIG. 1.

A finger piece 35 is formed integral with the righthand end of the hanger bar 27 and may be readily grasped to slide the hanger bar between its retracted and extended positions.

In order to mount the tie rack in place on the support rod 13, the bolt 21 is removed and the bracket 15 is merely slid endwise over the rod and then along the rod to a desired location. The bolt 21 is then passed through the jaws 22 and 23, and in doing so it engages the side of the rod 13 to insure that the closed end 18 of the slot 17 intimately engages the side of the rod 13. The hanger bar 27 is then slid to its fully extended position 27a to permit unobstructed access to the nut 24 which is then tightened, causing a slight downward flexing of the upper jaw 22 of the bracket to grip the rod 13. This will cause a relatively large frictional gripping force to be set up between the bracket and the rod 13. Because of the large area of contact between the end 18 of slot 17 and the rod 13, the bracket 15 will be adequately anchored thereto to prevent turning.

It will be noted that the nut 24 is normally hidden from view and that the remainder of the rack presents a simple and pleasing appearance when viewed from the front of the closet. However, the nut is readily accessible merely by moving the bar 27 to its fully extended position. Also, the bracket is so formed, and the nut 24 is so located, that they will not tend to catch or tear any articles of clothing which might be passed thereover when removing or storing the latter adjacent the tie rack.

FIG. 4 illustrates the mounting of the tie rack 10 on a clothes support rod 13a having a smaller diameter than the rod 13 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this case, a split sleeve 37 having a length preferably equal to the thickness of the bracket 15 is mounted over the rod 13a and is clamped against the periphery thereof by the bracket jaws 22 and 23 when the bolt 21 is tightened.

I claim:

1. A tie rack for mounting in any of different positions along a round clothes support rod within a closet comprising a one piece inclined elongate bracket having an open ended slot at its upper end to fit over said support rod,

said slot extending lengthwise of said bracket,

said bracket having a lengthwise extending slit intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and opening into said slot to enable flexing of the portions of said bracket on opposite sides of said slit and said slot,

clamp means for flexing said bracket portions toward each other to frictionally grip said support rod whereby to prevent rotation of said bracket relative to said support rod,

an elongate hanger bar having laterally extending supporting pins spaced therealong,

means comprises said hanger bar having longitudinally extending guide slots along the sides thereof above said pins,

said bracket having a horizontally extending bottom surface at an acute angle to the length of said bracket and a downwardly opening channel along 5 said bottom surface straddling a part of said hanger bar,

horizontally extending guide flanges on said bottom surface of said bracket and extending into said guide slots and slideably supporting said hanger bar, and

stop means for limiting the travel of said hanger bar along said guide flanges.

2. A tie rack according to claim 1 wherein said clamp a threaded bolt extending through said bracket portions on the side of said support rod remote from said slit, and

a nut threaded on said bolt whereby to clamp said bracket portions toward each other and against said support rod.

3. A tie rack according to claim 1 wherein said first mentioned slot has a semi-cylindrical closed end having at least substantially the same radius as that of said support rod and is frictionally engageable with said support rod when said bracket portions are clamped against said support rod.

4. A rack according to claim 3 wherein said bolt is engageable with a side of said support rod whereby to maintain said closed end of said slot in engagement with said support rod.

5. A rack according to claim 1 wherein said bracket is rectangular in cross-section. 

1. A tie rack for mounting in any of different positions along a round clothes support rod within a closet comprising a one piece inclined elongate bracket having an open ended slot at its upper end to fit over said support rod, said slot extending lengthwise of said bracket, said bracket having a lengthwise extending slit intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and opening into said slot to enable flexing of the portions of said bracket on opposite sides of said slit and said slot, clamp means for flexing said bracket portions toward each other to frictionally grip said support rod whereby to prevent rotation of said bracket relative to said support rod, an elongate hanger bar having laterally extending supporting pins spaced therealong, said hanger bar having longitudinally extending guide slots along the sides thereof above said pins, said bracket having a horizontally extending bottom surface at an acute angle to the length of said bracket and a downwardly opening channel along said bottom surface straddling a part of said hanger bar, horizontally extending guide flanges on said bottom surface of said bracket and extending into said guide slots and slideably supporting said hanger bar, and stop means for limiting the travel of said hanger bar along said guide flanges.
 2. A tie rack according to claim 1 wherein said clamp means comprises a threaded bolt extending through said bracket portions on the side of said support rod remote from said slit, and a nut threaded on said bolt whereby to clamp said bracket portions toward each other and against said support rod.
 3. A tie rack according to claim 1 wherein said first mentioned slot has a semi-cylindrical closed end having at least substantially the same radius as that of said support rod and is frictionally engageable with said support rod when said bracket portions are clamped against said support rod.
 4. A rack according to claim 3 wherein said bolt is engageable with a side of said support rod whereby to maintain said closed end of said slot in engagement with said support rod.
 5. A rack according to claim 1 wherein said bracket is rectangular in cross-section. 